Tag Archives: 757-2Q8

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) has issued this statement and photo in support of the New York Mets in the National League MLB playoffs:

Delta celebrated the New York Mets’ return to the postseason with the dedication of a Mets-branded Boeing 757-200 (757-2Q8 N713TW msn 28173) at New York-JFK.

The event followed the airline’s announcement Monday that it will renew its team sponsorship agreement, extending Delta’s designation as the Official Airline and Official Private Jet Carrier of the New York Mets through 2023.

Gail Grimmett, Delta’s Senior Vice President-New York, was joined by New York Mets Chief Operating Officer Jeff Wilpon, Executive Vice President Lou DePaoli, and former player Keith Hernandez to unveil an oversized “Let’s Go Mets” graphic on the aircraft’s fuselage.

“Without a doubt, the Mets are part of the fabric of the New York community,” said Grimmett at the unveiling ceremony. “As the team’s official airline and New York’s largest carrier, Delta is thrilled to unveil this ‘Let’s Go Mets’ aircraft to celebrate our longstanding relationship and what promises to be an exciting playoff series.”

The team’s playoff run begins October 9. As the Official Airline of the Mets, Delta flies the team to and from away games throughout the regular season and the playoffs.

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) has extended its seasonal service between New York-JFK and Iceland’s Keflavik International Airport, with service now beginning on February 11, 2016. Previously operated for four months over the summer, the flight will now operate for seven months, with service starting three times weekly in February and moving to daily in May.

Delta will operate the flight in conjunction with joint venture partners Air France, KLM and Alitalia on a Boeing 757 aircraft. Delta is the only U.S. airline with flights to Iceland and offers customers more than 60 onward connections via its hub at New York-JFK.

Delta’s New York–JFK to Keflavik (Reykjavik) flights will operate as follows:

ASL Aviation Group (Dublin) is combining and rebranding its four European airlines under the same name. Air Contractors, Europe Airpost, Farnair Switzerland and Faranair Hungary will begin operating under the ASL Airlines brand. The group issued this statement:

Ireland based ASL Aviation Group is to launch a new European airline brand, ASL Airlines, as part of its strategy for continued growth in passenger and cargo operations.

ASL’s 4 European airlines are to be renamed under the new ASL Airlines brand and there will be 4 airline operations ‘centres of excellence’ in Ireland, France, Switzerland and Hungary.

Air Contractors will become ASL Airlines Ireland

Europe Airpost will become ASL Airlines France

Farnair Switzerland will become ASL Airlines Switzerland

Farnair Hungary will become ASL Airlines Hungary

The ASL Group, which employs 1,500 globally, will continue to be based at its Corporate Support Office in Swords, County Dublin and will be led by Group Chief Executive, Hugh Flynn.

The total ASL fleet is +/- 100 aircraft depending on leasing arrangements, of which 75 aircraft are flying in Europe and in future will operate as ‘ASL Airlines’. Some of these aircraft will be painted in airline customer colours while the rest will soon start to become visible in Europe’s airports in the new ASL Airlines livery.

The strategy, named ‘Platform for Growth’, is an initiative aimed building on ASL’s leading role in various express integrator, passenger and postal markets in Europe.

ASL will also expand its global presence through its interest in Safair in South Africa and cargo airlines K-Mile in Thailand and QuikJet in India where ASL announced last week that its shareholding is to increase to 72.59%.

The new ASL Airlines brand and identity will achieve a number of key strategic aims:

The creation of an evolutionary new identity and brand image

A progressive transition from the current ASL Aviation Group identity

Show a clear and consistent link between ASL Aviation Group and the 4 airlines

“Our intent is to have a new strong single brand that will play a major role in helping us to achieve our vision and mission and reflect our corporate values in our business”, said ASL Group Chief Executive, Hugh Flynn.

“This strong single brand will make it considerably easier to use the aircraft of the European fleet across the individual countries to meet customer demand and this increased fleet flexibility and consequent competitiveness will enable us to grow our business”, Hugh Flynn continued.

Hugh Flynn explained that ASL’s optimisation potential will include the creation of ‘Centres of Excellence’, reducing cost and improving safety, reliability, quality and profitability, 4 of ASL’s 5 corporate values.

“In addition”, he said. “there will be increased security of employment, job satisfaction and challenge for all of the people of ASL, our 5th corporate value, and the most important after safety,”, Hugh Flynn concluded.

A 5th operations ‘centre of excellence’ in South Africa will oversee the continued growth in Safair, the specialist humanitarian Hercules operator; FlySafair, South Africa’s first ‘true’ low cost airline launched in October 2014 and the two Asian airlines. ASL’s aircraft leasing platforms will also continue to be based in Dublin.

To facilitate the ‘Platform for Growth’ strategy the ASL Group is being restructured into two divisions, European Airlines and Rest of the World Airlines and Leasing.

The current CEO of Air Contractors, Colin Grant will become Chief Executive of the new European Airline’s division and will be based in Dublin.

The current CEO of Safair, Dave Andrew, will become Chief Executive of the new Rest of the World Airlines and Leasing Division and will be based between Johannesburg and Dublin.

‘Platform for Growth’ will see ASL increase the number of aircraft in its combined cargo and passenger fleets. Aircraft will also be transferred throughout the group to facilitate the airlines and their ‘centres of excellence’ becoming specialists in operating specific aircraft types.

The 4 European airlines to be rebranded ASL Airlines currently operate throughout Europe for the leading express freight integrators and for postal services in France and the UK from hubs in France and Germany and between bases throughout the continent from Norway to Greece.

Passenger services are also operated under the airlines own brand from Switzerland, Ireland and France while the Irish airline, Air Contractors, operates three passenger Boeing 757’s on daily transatlantic flights from Dublin and Shannon to Canada and the United States.

Irish Airline, Air Contractors, will be rebranded as ‘ASL Airlines’ Ireland. Just last week the airline won the prestigious ‘Aircraft Operator of the Year’ award at the Irish Aviation Authority sponsored Irish Aviation Awards.

Europe Airpost flies passenger charter services for tour operators throughout Europe and the Mediterranean countries, as well as VIP and ad hoc passenger flights throughout the world. On the cargo side, Europe Airpost flies for overnight and postal operators within France and Europe, and operates ad hoc cargo flights throughout the world.

As part of its strategy of diversification, Europe Airpost also operates a weekly scheduled cargo service out of Paris CDG to Tunis, and a number of seasonal scheduled passenger routes serving France, Austria, Portugal and Halifax (Nova Scotia/Canada) via Dublin.

Europe Airpost aircraft slide show:

Video: Europe Airpost:

Farnair Europe – ASL Airlines Switzerland and ASL Airlines Hungary

The two European airlines in the Farnair Group will be rebranded as ‘ASL Airlines’ Switzerland and ASL Airlines Hungary.

TACV – Cabo Verde Airlines (Praia, Cape Verde Islands) yesterday (June 3) began service to T.F. Green Airport (PVD) in Providence, Rhode Island. TACV is the official airline of Cabo Verde and offers twice weekly flights on Tuesdays and Thursday aboard 210-seat Boeing 757-200 aircraft to the city of Praia on the island of Santiago. Connecting service is also available to the Cape Verdean islands of Fogo, Sao Vincente, Sal and Boa Vista.

TACV – Cabo Verde Airlines had previously served the Cape Verdean community with flights out of Boston Logan Airport. The Cape Verdean community has a strong presence throughout New England and in some areas communities are actually closer in proximity to Green Airport. The service has traditionally been geared towards linking family and friends; however, there is a new emphasis on growing it as a tourist destination by promoting the islands’ beauty, climate, hiking, surfing and other water sports. In the coming months, the airline hopes to add to its frequency and service offerings.

Later this month, Green Airport also welcomes a second international carrier- Condor Airlines with seasonal service to and from Frankfurt, Germany and connecting European destinations.

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) today reported financial and operating performance for February 2015.

Consolidated passenger unit revenue (PRASM) for the month of February decreased 1.5 percent year over year, driven by 1.5 points of continuing foreign exchange pressure on international results and 0.5 point from the impact of lapping prior year’s winter storms. Continuing strength in the domestic entity and corporate revenue gains offset a portion of this month’s international PRASM pressure. System capacity increased 6% for the month which includes 2 points of capacity growth from prior year’s winter storms.

The company’s financial and operating performance is detailed below.

Preliminary Financial and Operating Results

February consolidated PRASM change year over year
(1.5)%
February mainline completion factor
97.5%
February on-time performance (preliminary DOT A14)
78.0%

International Airlines Group’s (IAG) (British Airways, Iberia and Vueling Airlines) (London) continued seduction of Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus (Dublin) seems to be finally working, as the airline is revealing the positives of a takeover by the owner of British and Spanish flag carriers British Airways (London-Heathrow) and Iberia (Madrid).

In a statement to The Guardian, Christoph Mueller, the clover-tailed carrier’s outgoing CEO says that Ireland’s entire economy will benefit if the International Airlines Group takes over Aer Lingus.

Mueller, who steps down as CEO of the airline this week, said IAG’s £1.02 billion (€1.4 billion) ($1.57 billion) offer to buy Aer Lingus would be the biggest single foreign investment in the Republic since the financial crash.

He continued that there was “a great deal of excitement” that Aer Lingus would be able to create jobs on a much larger scale if IAG took charge of the former state-run airline.

Mueller also stressed that talks between IAG and the Aer Lingus trade unions had been “very constructive”.

Aer Lingus announced on Tuesday that its profits had risen by almost 18% to €72 million ($81.6 million) from the previous year. Total revenue was up by 9.2%. For the first time in the airline’s history the number of passengers has exceeded 11 million.

On the hike in profits and the IAG take-over proposal, Mueller added: We profitably expanded our long-haul network utilizing our cost advantage and favorable geographic position and helped establish Dublin as the 7th largest European hub for transatlantic connections.

“Our short-haul business continued to demonstrate its resilience despite a highly competitive market. Commercial initiatives, in addition to cost control, led to the highest operating profit since the financial crisis and 17.8% above last year.”

Update: The Irish government late on February 24 stated it cannot accept the current offer from IAG for Aer Lingus. The government according to the BBC has raised concerns and wants more information before selling its share. Red the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: SM Fitzwilliams Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. A takeover by IAG would lead to an updated fleet. Aircraft like this wet leased Air Contractors Boeing 757-2Q8 EI-LBR (msn 28167) would be phased out.

Transportes Aereos de Cabo Verde (TACV), announced the start of service from T. F. Green Airport (PVD) to the Cabo Verde Islands beginning June 2, 2015. The airline will offer two weekly flights on 210-seat Boeing 757-200 aircraft to the city of Praia on the island of Santiago on Tuesdays and Fridays through June 30 and will add a third weekly flight on Wednesdays during the peak travel season of July through early September. Additionally, connecting service will be available to other Cabo Verdean islands: Fogo, Sao Vicente, Sal and Boa Vista.

Located about 300 miles off the coast of Senegal, Cabo Verde is renowned for its natural beauty, picturesque beaches, and “morabeza” (Creole for hospitality) of its people. The islands that make up the arrow-shaped archipelago today were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century. Cabo Verde gained independence in 1975 and remains one of Africa’s most stable democratic governments. Both Portuguese and Creole are spoken by many of the 450,000 Cabo Verdeans who call the island nation home.